Artificial limb



R. TRAUTMAN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. I9Is.

rammed. oct. 28,1919. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAY TRAUTMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Application led April 23, 1918.

T 0 all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY TRAUTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to articial limbs and has for its object the manufacture of artificial limbs in which hollow shell members are formed of ber. The ber which I prefer to use is an artificial product formed by chemically-treated cotton and linen cloth or other brous material. It is hard, tough and durable and in addition to these properties possesses great lightness, which makesv it very desirable for artificial limbs. Vhen kept in water for a considerable period of time the sheet ber becomes sufficiently softened to lbe readily molded into the proper shape. So far as I am aware the ber which has heretofore been used for this purpose has either been bleached or has been colored b-y the addition of coloring matter. If the ber is not bleached or colored it is of a natural gray .color and is much stronger than that which has been subjected to the action of a bleaching agent or which has been mixed with coloring matter. I have discovered that by sufficiently softening the natural gray ber it can be shaped to form articial limbs which are much stronger and more durable than those which are formed from the fiber previously used. After this natural gray ber in sheet form has been sufficiently softened I mold it into the shape desired for the articles, or limbs, bringingl the longitudinal edges o f the shell together to form a butt-joint. This joint is held together and strengthened by an outer strip preferably of natural gray ber and preferably also by an inner metal strip. I

The ber which I employ is designated more particularly as mechanical natural gray ber and so far as I am aware has never before been used for shell members ofartificial limbs nor for analogous articles. Shell membersv made of this material are much stronger and much more durable than when made of the .ber which was in use before the time `of my. invention.

The full objects and advantages of myv invention will be understood by referring Specification of Letters Patent.

y Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 230,218.

to the detailed description and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate my invention embodied in an artificial limb to be used for amputations both above and below the knee,-

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section showing a thigh, shank and foot members. Eig. is a rear view thereof. Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section on the line 38 vof Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view with a portion of the shell broken away to show the attachment of the foot member.

The drawings illustrate anarticial limb comprising a thigh member 10, a yshank member 12 and a foot member 14. The members 10 and 12 are hollow shells preferably Aformed vr0f mechanical natural gray ber. The member 12 is molded in the proper shape and has the two longitudinal edges of the shell brought together at the rear toform a butt-joint, as best shown iii Fig. 3. The butt-joint is held-together and the member is strengthened by an outer strip 16 preferably of mechanical natural gray ber and an inner metal strip 18 which are secured together by silver nails 20 passing through the shell and the two strips at both sides of the abutting edges of the shell and riveted in place. The ankle bolt 22 passes through the shank member near its ankle portion in the customary manner, and vin order to provide additional strength at this place a short metal strip 24 through which the bolt passes is secured over the metal strip 18.

The thighv member 10 which I illustrate is also preferably formed of mechanical natural lgray ber molded into proper shape and having the two longitudinal edges of the sheetl brought together at the rear to form a butt-joint. Thisjoint is held together by an outer strip 26 ypreferably of mechanical natural gray ber and an inner metal strip 28 secured'together by silver nails 30 passing through the shell and the two strips at both sides of the abutting edges of the shell and riveted in place.

The knee joint is formed by a bolt 32 passing pivotally through the stub end 34 of the thigh memberto which bolt is secured the rearconnecting member 36 which is secured at its other end to the shank portion, while a notch 38 is provided in the stub end 34 to Ypermit movement -Vof vthev member 36. Also secured to each end of the bolt 32 is a metal strip 42 which extends down inside the shank member and is riveted thereto. Rotatably mounted in a recess in the stub end 34 is a fiber roller 44 over which passes a strong, heavy cord 46, Jthe lower end of which is secured to the rear portion of the shank member. The upper end of this cord is attached to a heavy elastic strap 48 which in turn is attached at a suitable place such as to the suspender 50 by the adjusting buckles 52. The suspender passes over the shoulder in the usual manner and its other end has a loop 54 through which passes a heavy cord 56. This cord passes down each side of the thigh member through a guide 58 carried by a strap 60 secured to the thigh member, then passing under a roller 62 which is secured to the thigh member through a loop 64 in the strap 60, and finally through a. loop 66 at the front end of the suspender, the meeting ends of the cord coming from adjacent sides being secured together.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the foot member is shown secured to the shank member so as to have a rocking movement relatively thereto. A metal stripv 68 is secured inside of the shank member at each side thereof by rivets 70, and the lower ends of the two strips are secured to a rod 72 which is rotatably mounted in a trunnion 74 secured to the foot member by a bolt 75 passing vertically therethrough. An elastic member 76 and a strong heel cord member 7 8 are attached to the foot member at points located respectively in front of and back or' the strips 68, and the upper ends of these members are attached to the ankle bolt 22. On account of this construction, the foot member is normally held positioned as shown in Fig. 4, but is permitted to have a rocking movement about the rod 72 as a pivot. When the wearer of the artificial limb is walking, the heel portion naturally comes first into contact with the ground, and the elastic member 76 yields and allows the toe portion to swing down with an easy movement, thereby eliminating jarring. lhen the weight of the person comes upon the toe, Jthe heel cord 78 exerts a strong pull on' the ankle bolt 22. 0n account of this bolt passing through the reinforcing strips near the place of attachment of the heel cord to the bolt, liability of the bolt tearing loose from the fiber shell is avoided. A slip socket 80, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, receives the lower end of the portion of the leg which is left when amputations are made below the knee. The slip socket extends down into the shell 12, the top of which is shaped to form curves extending downwardly from the sides toward the front and back, the back curve extending downwardly somewhat farther than the front curve. Secured to the top of the slip socket. S0 is a collar 82, the lower edge of which is shaped to correspond with the curved top of the shank member 12. On account of this intenfitting of the shell of the shank member and the collar of the slip socket, any twisting or turning movement of the thigh of the person will be communicated to the shank member and the foot member. Secured to each side of the shank member 12 is a forked connecting member, the two branches 84 of which are riveted to said shank member. To the conjoint end 85 of the forked member is pivotally `connected at 86, a connecting member S8 which extends upwardly and is secured to a leather lacer 90 which is adapted to be secured around the thigh of the wearer by a lacing 92. The collar 82 of the slip socket is connected to the lacer 90 by a member on each side having an elastic portion 94. A construction is thus provided which serves to connect the artificial shank member with the thigh of the person, while at the same time permitting :t'ree and easy movement of the knee. rIhe forks 84 furnish a strong connection with the shank member whereby danger of breaking is avoided.

In use, the stump of the leg below the knee is placed in the slip socket and the lacer is secured around the thigh while the slip socket is attached to the lacer at both sides by means of the elastic members 94. When the foot member is oii" the ground, the elastic members raise the slip socket slightly from the upper end of the shank member, while in walking when the foot member contacts with the ground, the slip socket moves down until the collar thereon comes into contact with the upper edge of Jhe shank member. This stretches the elastic members and results in a cushioning eii'ect which eliminates jarring. The slip socket is at all times held closely upon the stump portion of the leg and chang thereof is prevented.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing description. Artificial limbs made from mechanical natural gray fiber are extremely light and at the same time strong and durable. The construction of the artificial limb as an entirety is such as to make it extremely light and strong and at the same time to permit free and easy movement of the shank and foot members relatively to the thigh and of the foot member relatively to the shank member. Shocks are absorbed and the comfort of the wearer is insured not only on account of the avoidance of jarring of the person, but also on account of the prevention of chang.

I claim: Y

1. An .artificial limb comprising a hollow shell formed from a sheet of ber, the longitudinal edges of -which are brought together to form a butt-joint, a strip of fiber secured on the outside of the shell to both of the abutting edges of the joint, and a metal strip secured on the inside of the shell to both of the abutting edges of the joint.

2. An artificial limb comprising a shank member' and a thigh member pivoted together to form a knee joint, a roller rotatably mounted at the front of the knee joint portion of said thigh member, a strong, non-elastic cord passing in front of the lower portion of said thigh member in engagement with said roller and having its lower end secured to the rear portion of said shank member, and an elastic member secured to the upper end of said cord, said elastic member being arranged to automatically bring said shank member forward into alinement with said thigh member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aHiX my sign ature.

RAY TRAUTMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

